LES IDOLES (Marc’O, 1968)

LES IDOLES

Dir. Marc’O, 1968

France, 105 min.

In French with English subtitles

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6 – 7:30 PM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12 – 7:30 PM

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17 – 10 PM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22 – 7:30 PM

LES IDOLES is a psychedelic, disorienting trip into the French pop world of the 1960s. “Pop” music was just coming into its own then, and writer/director Marc’O, a known stage director and multidisciplinary artist, portrays the new world of pop superstardom as a strange, frenetic world full of debauchery and greed. The plot is barebones, hiding behind the atmosphere and (annoyingly) catchy songs, but consists of an unorthodox warehouse press conference with three pop singers: Charly Switchblade, Crazy Gigi, and Simon the Magician. As the audience is able to ask any questions they want, the facade of the manufactured pop stars slowly starts to fade.

LES IDOLES started as a stage play; director Marc’O assembled some of his regular troupe of stage actors, including Bulle Ogier (in her first major film role!) and Pierre Clementi, to bring this 1960s French pop farce to the big screen. Marc’O assembled quite an impressive roster to help him out: Andre Techine acted as an assistant director, while the film was edited by Jean Eustache (there’s even an unfounded rumor that early versions of THE MOTHER AND THE WHORE included a scene on the LES IDOLES set). The costumes and settings alone are enough to make this worth seeing; but it’s the zany, weird, but relatable performances by Bulle Ogier (as a France Gall stand-in), Pierre Clementi (Johnny Halliday), and Jean-Pierre Kalfon as a palm-reader turned singer that bring the film to life.